PHONE owners are being warned by Virgin Media O2 to watch out for dangerous text scams.
If you own an Android or iPhone, you need to be aware of dastardly criminal messages in your inbox.
Virgin Media O2This type of scam text is very common – and extremely dangerous[/caption]
The UK mobile giant has revealed the five most common types of scam texts.
It says that these common attacks “account for more than 95% of all scam messages” blocked on the network.
Phone owners are being urged to spot the signs to avoid falling victim to a dangerous con.
“Taking the time to stop and think before calling back or clicking through can make all the difference,” said Liam Rawsthorne, Virgin Media O2‘s Head of Fraud.
“And, by forwarding on scam texts to 7726 for free, you can help spot new trends and tricks, so we can build even stronger defences.”
According to Virgin Media O2, the most popular scam is when fraudsters pose as someone contacting their mum or dad from aunt known number.
These are know as “Hi Mum / Hi Dad” scam texts, and sees scammers claiming to be using a friend’s phone because theirs is lost, stolen or broken.
Scammers can take significant sums of money from unsuspecting parents using this method.
The second most common scam type was fake package delivery texts.
“Fraudsters purported to be from some of the UK’s biggest delivery companies,” Virgin Media O2 warned.
“And tried to get customers to visit a scam website to rearrange, add more detail or pay for a ‘delivery’ in the hope of gaining customer bank details.”
Third up is the “sham failed bank or payment notifications” scam.
Fraudsters will send texts that claim to be from your bank and sa there’s a problem.
This might be an issue with a payment, an account has been accessed, or a new payee has been set up.
But it’s all a ruse to steal all of your money.
Fourth on the list is an investment scam – often involving cryptocurrency – where you’re promised significant returns.
Typically you’ll be asked to visit a website or join a social network group, both ultimately aiming to defraud you or steal your cash.
And the final type of scam is a “debt write-off text”.
“Fraudsters claim individuals could write off bills if they visit a fake government website,” Virgin Media O2 warned.